Spring is the best time for lovers of spinning. A hungry predator, waking up after winter idleness, hunts almost around the clock, not missing anything to profit from. Zander is no exception. This "river tiger" is activated immediately after the ice melts, trying to somehow gain strength before spawning.
Features of spring behavior of zander
With the first warm days, zander leaves from the depths to smaller places. In anticipation of spawning, which usually occurs in April-May, he is in a state of constant search for food and attacks everything that resembles his usual food. That is why catching zander in the spring on a spinning rod in most cases is effective and this attracts both beginners and experienced anglers.
However, the spawning zhora period lasts only 10-15 days, after which the predator practically ceases to eat and deals exclusively with the problem of procreation. At this time, spring fishing for zander ends. A new wave of its activity will come only with the beginning of summer, when the river tiger, departing from exhaustion, begins to hunt again.
Where to look for zander in the spring?
If you didn’t miss this short period of foolish zhora, start his search by catching shallow (up to 2 m) places of a reservoir with a slow or reverse flow. But the pike perch does not stand still waiting for prey, as happens in the summer. He constantly moves, scouring the entire area of the reservoir, either rising to the surface of the water and approaching the shore, then plunging deeper and moving away from it.
And do not think that you attacked the parking lot, catching one individual: zander is not a flock of fish, and it will not stand in one place, especially in the spring. Catching pike perch in the spring on a spinning involves actively searching for it. Often you have to walk around before you get a decent catch.
By the way, you can pay attention to the flocks of hunting perches. This is a reliable indicator of the presence of fry in a certain place. The "boiling" water signals that perch is feeding here. Zander, which is his hunting neighbor, is likely to be nearby.
The best time for fishing
Spinning in the spring is most effective in the morning and evening hours. And if in the evening the activity of a predator increases with sunset, which is not very convenient for spinning fishing, then with its first rays the fishing efficiency is quite high.
You need to start fishing with the sunrise, at this time the predator is most hungry and will not miss anything that resembles a fish, all the more wounded in appearance. Such bait on pike perch during this period acts like a drug. The sight of blood excites him so much that he is not able to resist instinct.
In the evening, zander is more calm and restrained, although it does not feel much fear. During these hours, he often approaches the shore, freezing for some time in place, waiting for prey.
Spinning rod
You can catch zander on a spinning rod in the spring both from the shore and from the boat. In the first case, you need a fishing rod of ultra-fast or fast action with a length of 2.4-3 m. Only with the help of this form you can carry out a sharp sweep and break through its hard mouth. The rod test is selected depending on the type and weight of the bait.
Fishing in the spring for zander on a spinning from a boat involves the use of a short (up to 2.4 m) blank. All requirements regarding the system and the test are the same.
Spinning reel and fishing line
The coil is better to use inertialess, with a reliable friction brake, better front. Size - 2000-2500. Preference should be given to branded models, regardless of the number of bearings.
As for fishing line, it is better to use a braid. It is more reliable, moreover, it does not stretch. Diameter - no more than 0.25 mm. If you still prefer monofilament, then using a fishing line thinner than 0.3 is not recommended: a pike perch is able to provide serious resistance when fishing.
Using a leash is optional, although some anglers do not hunt without it. Maybe this is right: if you suddenly accidentally come across a pike, you can remain without equipment.
Zander tooling
Given that zander is not a lover of a clean bottom, but prefers stones and driftwood, getting it out of there with standard equipment is quite problematic due to the high probability of hooks. For fishing in such places, savvy anglers came up with alternative equipment that can pass almost any obstacles. It is called a “leash”. Its essence lies in the fact that the leash with the bait is attached not to the end of the main line, as usual, but perpendicular to it.
To make such a snap is easy. To do this, you need a piece of monofilament fishing line (0.2 mm) about a meter long (for a leash), a swivel tee and a load weighing 6-20 g, depending on the features of the bottom and the strength of the current. A piece about 30 cm long needs to be cut from the end of the main fishing line. We attach a load to one of its edges, and one of the vertical swivel ears to the other. The main fishing line is attached to the opposite vertical eye. We attach the leash to the horizontal swivel retraction. As a result, we should get a snap consisting of a main fishing line with a load at the end and a horizontal branch (leash) with a bait located at a height of 30 cm from the sinker. This design will allow you to catch hook-up places with minimal risk of breakage of gear.
Pike perch bait
As for lures, for zander at any time of the year the following remain relevant:
- foam rubber of the most various types and colors;
- twisters;
- vibration tails;
- wobblers.
Several classic oscillators or front-loaded spinning lures will not become superfluous in your arsenal of lures. Nevertheless, preference should be given to jig baits. Active pike perch best perceives nozzles of red, yellow and orange colors. In periods of reduced activity, brown and gray lures are more suitable.
Pikeperch spinning technique
The type of spinning wiring is selected based on the type of bait selected. For oscillating and rotating spinners, as well as most wobblers, the best wiring, especially for a beginner spinning, will be uniform. Its principle is to slowly reel the fishing line with the same intensity. Sometimes it is supplemented by short pauses for diving the bait. Such wiring is more suitable for spinners: both for rotating and for oscillators.
But nevertheless the zander is best caught on a jig. This type of wiring implies the alternation of fast rewinding with pauses of 2-3 seconds. When jigging, the bait takes off during a jerk, then gradually sinks to the bottom during a pause. Active pike perch always reacts the same way to a jig, responding to the impudent behavior of a potential victim by an attack. Jig wiring is suitable for various silicone and wobblers.
In spring, fishing for zander on a spinning river with intensive flow can be carried out in demolition. To do this, cast, wait until the bait falls to the bottom, and then slowly release the fishing line, controlling the tension. You need to rewind it only with the formation of slack. The flow along the arc slowly carries the bait to the shore, where a predator often awaits it. For this posting, foam rubber fish, twisters and vibro-tails are mostly used.
Spring fishing for pike perch on the balancer
Although the balancer is considered a winter bait, it is successfully used to hunt the "river tiger" in the spring. In places where spinning fishing is hampered by the presence of snag or abundant vegetation, sheer fishing will be a good alternative. To do this, you will need a boat and a small (up to 60 cm) side fishing rod. As for the rod itself, its design with this type of fishing does not play a special role. It is important that it is reliable, and also has a reel (preferably inertialess) for reeling up fishing line. The requirements for fishing line are the same as for spinning.
When choosing a balancer, do not give preference to large baits. In our case, the less the better. The technique of vertical flashing involves lowering the bait to the bottom in free fall and slowly lifting it, during which the balancer plays, deviating from the vertical axis by 10-20 degrees.